Back To School

 
In June we had the My Feet Your Dream Color Run. This was NOT my favorite race.

1. It was very hilly and it was obviously the first time this group had put on a color run because the color throwers would throw the colors right in your face/mouth. One racer even threw up because he inhaled some of the color. Eww.

2. My other complaint is that the race was not timed. We had number and everything, but there was no timer at all....not even a stopwatch. I understand that not every race is competitive, but I feel that the people putting on the race should have a disclaimer stating that the race is not timed when you sign up.

My time was around 37ish and Chris PR'd with at 34ish minutes.

They were not playing around with that color :)

In July we did the Watermelon 5k. 

I had stopped running in July because we moved and I threw Emersyn her first birthday get-together. July was super stressful, so I slacked off more than I should have. At the end of the month, we did the Watermelon 5k which has a hill rightly dubbed "Everest". The first mile and a half is slightly downhill and I was feeling awesome. I finished my first mile in 10:15 (which is really fast for me). Then I realized that mile 2 and 3 were all uphill, and it was STEEP uphill.

I finished in 40 min, which was disheartening, but we did have a heat advisory and I hadn't run in a month, so I deemed just finishing acceptable.

We are looking like real runners!

We have already done our August 5k.

It was the Run Wild 5k. We ran through and around the zoo. It was a nice, flat course, and I finished in about 37 minutes. Because it was a novelty run, they didn't do accurate timing; they just used a stopwatch. It was neat to run beside the animals, but it was super hot (another heat advisory).

I have now been working at getting faster and ran a 10 minute mile yesterday. That is the fastest I have run this year. I'm just getting back into the swing of school and running, so hopefully I'll be doing some big things this year.

I am wearing a sleeveless shirt! First time I've done that in YEARS!

I am now down 50 pounds (156)! Only 11 more to go!

Chick-fil-a 5K!

So I'll be updating a little less frequently now since I am on summer break, and during the summer I mostly use my phone to access the Internet.....and trying to type a blog on a phone is not very easy.


 On May 30th we had the Chick-fil-a 5K, and if you were wondering, yes they did have chicken biscuits at the finish line :)

This has been one of the only flat course we have had since we started to run, and  it was soooooooooo nice. For the second time Chris was able to come race with me! Having him always makes it more fun. Also, Brooke had just had surgery on her foot, so she was MIA, but my cousin, Avery, replaced her.

We all had a really good race. Avery was so fast that she would pass me, then stop and walk  until I passed her, then run passed me again. She ended up finishing in a little over 33 minutes and took 1st place in her age group.

I had been running mostly quick short runs to prepare for this and it definitely paid off! I PR'd at 35:05. That is a 7 minute difference from last month!

Chris and Macie also improved their times. 37+ for Chris and 45+ for Macie. Alec, sadly didn't improve (42), but I think she is having problems with the mental race.

This is my finish line picture. I got a new phone, so I lost all my group pics from that day.

Lastly, since my graduation week post , my weight had plateaued at 165. I have found that if I want to lose the rest of my weight, I am going to have to put in some more effort. The most effective way I have found is by logging my food. On my Fitbit app, there is a food log (much like myfitnesspal). I have been logging my food and becoming more aware of my snacking and have lost 3 pounds this week!
I couldn't be more excited! I am almost in the 150's. I really never thought I'd be at this weight again!


I have lost 45 pounds (161)! Only 16 to go!

Graduation Week

This week is busy! My sisters graduate from high school on Thursday, and Chris graduates with his Associates on Friday. I was excited to buy a new dress for the occasions and even more excited when I could fit into the regular size clothes at the boutique. Of course, some of the larges don't fit me well (my chest is much bigger since I have had Emersyn), but what made me most excited was that I fit into "one size fits all" leggings.

Side Note:
 I HATE "one size fits all" clothing. They DO NOT fit all. When I was pregnant, I found a cute shirt that was "one size". I told the clerk that there was no way it fit anyone, but she assured me that the shirt "does a lot of stretching, and looks cute on everyone". WRONG! I tried it on and felt like crap. So imagine my devastation when I was looking for leggings to put under my dress and the only ones the store had are "one size". I asked the clerk what size they really went up to and the clerk said "oh, you should be fine! just go try them on"...I was skeptical, but they FIT!


Running:
Last week I didn't get to run much. I ran two miles on Monday, and that was it. I am still working on my speed, though. This week, my plan is to run Monday-Wednesday since we have graduations at the end of the week.

Monday went well- I ran a mile in 11:18, which is the fastest I've run a mile since I started this endeavor. If I kept that pace up for 3.1 miles (which is doubtful) then I could run my 5k in less than 35 minutes!

Today I plan to run 5k. I'm hoping to keep my pace below 13 min/m. I am still really hoping to run our next race in less than 40 min.



I am 42 pounds down (164)! 19 pounds to go!

(if my "to go" pounds don't seem consistent, it's because they're not! My original goal was just to not be considered "overweight," now I think I could be more of my ideal weight)

Runners build up Runners

I have really been slacking off on blogging and running. Ever since the Valentine's 5K, I haven't been running regularly like I should be. I've been watching what I eat more and losing weight, but I definitely lost some of my running mojo.

In March, we did the Run to the Cross 5k; it was hilly and horrible since I hadn't run in a month. I finished in 42:17.

Last weekend, we did the Hope for Autism 5k. That one was hilly, humid, and even harder since I hadn't run in 2 months! I finished in 42:03.

I did have more fun at Hope of Autism because my husband decided to run with me. He is a lot faster than me, but lacks the endurance. Running with him has really motivated me to get back to it.

Yesterday, I ran 1 mile. I tried to do a little speedwork by running faster on the straights and slower on the curves. It resulted in a 12:15 minute mile!

Plus, a guy (who was obviously a regular runner) said I was doing great, and if I kept it up, I would definitely improve my 5k time. That was a super confidence boost! I love that runners build up other runners!

Just to update:

 I am officially down 40 pounds!

This is me after loosing  16 pounds, then after losing 35 pounds.

I don't know why I'm giving crazy eyes in both of these pictures

This picture is of me at 190, then again at 170. I'm now 166! I still have a ways to go, but I'm feeling a lot better about myself. I may actually have to start registering for medium race day shirts! EXCITING!!!

Long Time...No Run

After our Valentine's 5k I decided to take a week off of running because of some feminine issues that I was having. The plan was to take one week off and come back strong the next week. There was one major problem though......


IT ICED/SNOWED the entire next week!!!!!


Living in Louisiana, we do not see much snow....we may get ice once every few years, but this was actual soft powdery snow! I built my very first decent sized snowman! We had a blast playing in the snow, but, alas, I could not run. Because we rarely have snow, Louisiana isn't really prepared for winter storms, so there was no driving to the track or running on slippery roads. 


I'm not going to lie, I had a great time playing in the snow. I loved being off work (schools were closed for 4 days). It was nice not having to run for two weeks, but it is time to get back on track. I'm just thankful that I didn't gain any weight back during the past two weeks.



I am still down 27 pounds!

For the Love of Running 5k

Saturday was For the Love of Running 5k/Color Run.  We really had a blast. They played music before and after the race. They had door prizes, snacks, smoothies, etc. Plus getting color thrown on you every half miles really broke up the race.

My cousin, Alec, and I made it in just over 40 minutes....our best race time yet! We wanted to be under 40, but there were a lot of hills, so we are giving ourselves a break.


My aunt, Macie, ran hers in 46 minutes! She beat her goal of 48 and her goal of not being last. I think she really enjoyed this race!

Macie, Alec, and Me before the race

Alec and Me after the race! (Macie was getting water)

Our next race is at the end of March, and I hope to be well under 40 minutes by the time that one comes around.

On another note, Valentines Day was great. Chris and I had Athena's, which is our favorite Greek restaurant (and the only Greek restaurant in town). Chris also got us chocolate covered strawberries that were soooooooo good. Our Anniversary is this Thursday, and we are actually going to go out on a date Friday! We haven't gone out together since Emersyn was born, so this should really be a good time. We are thinking of going to Painting with a twist, but we haven't fully decided. 

Emersyn had her 6 month check up yesterday (even though she is 7 months). She is turning out to be tall and slim! She is in the 90th percentile for height! Also, we have been feeding her fruit in her fresh food feeder and she absolutely LOVES it.

You just put some pieces of fruit in and Pow! she loves it!

I am 27 pounds down!

WooHoo!

First of all, I ran yesterday and it felt soooooo good. The weather was great, I felt more like I was jogging instead of shuffling, and I kept up a good pace. I ran a 5k in under 40 minutes!!!! I am so excited! Anytime that I tried to do that in the past, I would end up winded and failing, but yesterday was awesome. I know that my running app is a little more generous with distance, so I hope I am under 40 for the race Saturday! I guess I can finally say that I am running/jogging, and not shuffling!

Also, I am very excited about tonight. Chris and I are celebrating Valentine's Day tonight by ordering in Athena's (one of our favorite restaurants)  and watching a movie. Emersyn and I are going to stop by Books-A-Million and get him a little Valentine's gift.

I am down 26 pounds!

Things I Look Forward To...

Since I have reached the -25 pound point, I am pumped up about the weight I'm losing and the potential weight that I am going to lose. I don't see myself stopping now, and I hope to keep this "fire in the veins" feeling.

So I decided to type down a few things that I am excited about when I lose weight. 

1. Not being embarrassed to take family portraits  (especially Christmas)
2. Looking like I "fit-in" with my skinny siblings.
3. Buying regular-sized clothes from boutique stores
4. Getting into the swimming pool with Emersyn and not feeling super embarrassed
5. Not being embarrassed when I see someone from high school or college
6. Looking like a runner
7. Being able to run faster and longer
8. People giving me compliments, asking questions, and being proud about me weight loss
9. Feeling attractive
10. Being able to wear sleeveless shirts
11. Wearing "fitted" clothes
12. Being able to order "women cut" shirts instead of always ordering the men's t-shirts


I'll continue to add more as I think of them!

Race Is Coming Up!

Saturday is race day!

My aunt, cousin, and I (Brooke will be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras) will be running a Valentine's Color Run. I'm so excited! I would like to complete the race in under 40 minutes, but I am more focused on just enjoying this fun race.

I slacked on my diet a little bit this weekend, but I still was mindful of overeating.

Statistically, it is around this time each year that people start giving up their resolutions and goals, so I can't let that lazy side of me come out and make me quit. I feel like if I can keep running and eating right through March, then I will be more likely to be successful throughout the year.

I am officially down 25 pounds!

Great Run & Tomato Soup!

Yesterday I said I was going to run whether I wanted to or not, so that is exactly what I did. I had been dreading it all day, but I went out there, told myself not to worry about pace, and ran 3 miles. IT FELT GREAT! The entire time I was thinking about how it was nice not worrying about speed, and how much better I felt just getting out there.

Plus I listened to a comedy station on Pandora, so that made the run even more fun!

This is the station I listened to.

When I got home, I had a great time playing with Em, and then, while she napped, Chris made my favorite meal, Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. For some reason, Chris does not put water or milk in the condensed soup, so it comes out really thick. I prefer it with milk added, but it was still awesome.

YUMMM!

Then Chris and I started a puzzle together. We haven't done one in a while (like 5 years) but I've been wanting to, and so I am excited to start this one! Yesterday was just an all around good day.


I'm 23 pounds down!

Commitment & Veggie Quesadillas

Yesterday I skipped my run. I started to get depressed because I am afraid I am losing my motivation. This morning, I started to look up things to pump me up and I found this:

This was perfect for today. This is right! I told myself that I would run; the fact that I am not in the mood this week should not change it.

I am committed. I am going to run until I get back into the mood to run!

On another note, I got creative with veggie cooking last night. We really didn't have anything for a recipe, so I took the things we did have and whipped up some veggie quesadillas. I pretty much put everything I could think of into the quesadilla, and it actually turned out pretty good. At least Chris approved.

                                     

They look less appetizing than they actually were. Here is what I used:

2 Fajita Tortillas

Pesto- A very thin layer on the tortilla

Tomato Sauce- another very thin layer 

Avocado- Just one slice mashed up

White Onion- About 1/4 cup 

Shitake Mushrooms- About 1/4 cup

Shredded Cheese- About 1/2 cup

I just put everything on the tortillas and heated it up. It ended up being delicious, but definitely not traditional.

I plan to stay committed and run even when I don't feel like it! 

Still 22 pounds down! 34 pounds to go!

Veggie Pizzas

Yesterday was the first time that I cooked a completely vegetarian meal for my husband. I've love veggies and fruits and don't really care about meat, but Chris is a steak and potatoes kind of guy. 

I started us off with veggie pizzas. All it is is broccoli, onion, mushrooms, artificial cheese, and tomato sauce on top of pita bread. It was a little too much broccoli for me, but Chris really loved it. It is a good start! That is definitely a recipe that I can keep for later. 

I was just in a funk yesterday, and decided not to run. I don't know why I am dreading my next run, but I kind of am; but today I am going to get out there and run 3 miles whether I like it or not. I always feel better afterwards anyway. 


So hopefully tomorrow I will posting a nice report on how my running went.

Eat To Live

My husband informed me that he would like to give up meat for Lent this year, and I couldn't be more excited. I have always had a desire to be vegetarian, if not vegan, due to the inhumane way the animals are treated, but it is very hard to do when no one in your family does it with you. I once gave up meat for about 6 months before I stopped because of inconvenience. 

To get myself pumped up, I watched a documentary, Forks Over Knives, about the benefits of a plant-based diet (yes, documentaries pump me up)! I also borrowed a book from my mom called Eat To Live, which also stresses a plant-based diet. The book claims that if you cut out animals products, and limit things, like starches, then you can potentially lose 20 lbs in 6 weeks. Personally, I think that is a little ambitious, but I guess it is worth a try! 

I am now looking up and Pinning vegan recipes. The only problem I foresee is that vegan cooking takes ALOT more time to prepare. These diets call for very little pre-packed, quickly cooked things, but I am up for the challenge!

Also, Em said "Dada" for the first time yesterday and we, especially Chris, could not be more excited! It is so wonderful to finally hear our little girl babbling while she plays.

I am down 22 pounds as of this morning! Only 33 more to go!

Stomach Bug

  Em got sick again on Wednesday at daycare, so I left school early to go pick her up. I stayed with her at home Thursday just to make sure she was okay. I think she just had baby food too early after being sick this weekend, and that caused her to have an upset stomach. So yesterday was a lazy day for napping and snacking (ugh). I feel bad because I ate so much yesterday, but I will be able to run it off today (hopefully).

  The only problem is that Chris is sick now. We were planning on getting a puzzle and some wine and having a nice night at home, but it seems like that won't happen because he caught whatever Emersyn had. 


So far, my goal of losing 5 lbs a month is going pretty well (since this is the first month). I have lost my 5 lbs! Even though it was 6 until yesterday, when I snacked all. day. long. If I can keep this up, I will be able to hit my goal weight by August. I think I am doing better at losing weight this time because I set more attainable goals. Normally I try to really restrict myself and lose at least 2 lbs a week, but this time I'm taking it a little easier, and giving myself some wiggle room. Running helps because too because I focus get on my fitness progress more than the scale. 


I am down 20 lbs. ! Just 35 more to go!

The FitBit Flex.

     My aunt, my sister, and I have been doing the Workweek Challenge on our FitBit app. This is a great way to get motivated to take more steps in a day! I highly recommend the FitBit Flex.

I have the black one and Brooke, my sister, got the pink one, but the package comes with 2 bands, so we switched our extra bands and now we each have both the black and the pink band. 

I LOVE this thing. It helps me track my food; it motivates me to take the long way to where ever I am walking.

In the workweek challenge, it tracks the participants steps from Monday - Friday. My aunt kicks our butts every week, so this week we were trying really hard to beat her. I ran 3 miles both Monday and Tuesday (I normally skip a day between runs), I have been pacing my classroom during my planning period, and I have parked far away so I am forced to walk farther to my car.....alas, it seems that she is going to beat us again. Oh well... I still love the FitBit

On another note, yesterday's run felt terrible. By the first half mile I was telling myself that I would only run 2. When I got through 2 miles, I convinced myself to use all of my being to run the 3rd. I can say that at least a terrible run pace now is a lot better than a terrible run pace 3 months ago. So that is progress!

Also, this morning the scale said that I am down 22 pounds!!! This is probably because I didn't eat much last night due to the unfortunate burning of Chicken Spaghetti, but I'll take it! 

Unexpected Weekend & Runs For Cookies Virtual 5k

This weekend was definitely not what I expected it to be. I expected to run 4 miles on Friday,  visit Bethany and Nathan on Saturday, try out a new church Sunday morning, then run the RFC Virtual 5k Sunday afternoon. That did not happen.

Friday, I went to run, but it was freezing and raining. I couldn't go another day without running, so I just did one mile. The, normally busy, Friday track was EMPTY. Obviously, I am the only one dedicated enough to run in the freezing rain, or the only one without a treadmill or gym membership.... 

Saturday morning at about 5 AM, Em woke up gagging and threw up what seemed to be mucus. I figured she was okay and went ahead and gave her the morning bottle.....she threw that up too. So we waited and she tried to sleep some more, but she threw up a third time, so Chris called the doctor. 

We went to the pediatrician's office where there were tons of people waiting and only one doctor working since it was Saturday. Thankfully, Em was in a good mood and entertained the entire waiting room by laughing at everyone. She was in a great spirits to be throwing up so much. She got her finger pricked for the first time and didn't even cry! That girl is one tough cookie! 

The doctor said that a throat infection mixed with sinus drainage was causing her to throw up and he gave her a shot of antibiotic. The rest of the night we had to slowly introduce Pedialyte and breastmilk. She finally has her appetite back today.

So it goes without saying, we did not visit Bethany and Nathan on Saturday, and I did not run on Sunday since we were tending to a sick baby.

So only 2 miles all week...that is just sad.

Yesterday, I did do the virtual 5k. I didn't make my goal of a sub 40 time. Maybe it was because I hadn't run that far in a week or because the track was super crowded and I was dodging kids (didn't these people know I was in a race?!) , or maybe I should have picked it up more my last mile, but I was 34 seconds over my goal time. I still felt good about the run, though. I think I'll be able to do sub 40 during my next race.

I forgot to take a picture while running, so I just snapped a pic of my shoes.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Yesterday, I was so ready to run. I have only run once this week, and I only ran 1 mile. The forecast said rain, and during lunch it was sprinkling a little. I told myself that if it was sprinkling I would still run, but just a little less. Well, when I left school, dressed and ready, it was not sprinkling; it was raining. I was not about to run in the freezing rain; mostly because I don't want to get sick. Hopefully I'll have better luck today. If not, I may just go to the medical mall and walk a little. I am definitely going to have to run on Saturday and Sunday to make up for this pitiful week.



Also, I was doing so good food-wise. I had lost a pound this week because I had been really careful about what I was eating...until last night. My husband made chicken salad (YUM!) and brought home cookies. So I did some overeating and it was good, but so not worth it. 

I am still 18 pounds down....that is something to CELEBRATE!

1 mile...all week....ugggh. 

Feeling Good

1) I got my new blender! I've made a few smoothies in it, but I need to get better at the blending. It still takes me a few minutes (with a lot of stirring) to get everything smooth.

2) My runs have felt great lately! I did 5 miles on Sunday and felt really good about it. Still a 14+ minute pace, but much better than my 6 miles at 16+ minutes.

3) I've been paying more attention to what I eat and I can already see a difference on the scale. I have lost another pound!

4) I still lose the FitBit contest with my family during the workweek, but on the weekend I come pretty close to winning!

5) I need to work on organizing and cleaning my house. I cleaned out my closet yesterday and it felt good to get rid of all those clothes that I never wear. I did keep a few things that I hopefully will be able to wear again one day.

6) We are going to Bethany and Nathan's house again on Saturday. I love the idea of having couple friends!!! We invited ourselves this time, but only because their baby is mobile and our apartment is not very baby-proof.  I told them that I would bring dinner, though, so that should make up for our self-invitation.

Fooooood

So I have been stuck around the same weight for a few weeks now and it is getting frustrating. But really, I haven't been eating any different than I normally do, so how can I expect to lose weight? On biggest loser (yes, I'm quoting biggest loser) Bob always says "think. eat. exercise. In that order!" so I think I'm going to try to start eating healthy now.

• The first thing I want to do is get a blender. I told Chris I want one for our anniversary, but I might get one earlier. This way I can start making smoothies for breakfast and start my day off doing well. I always felt good when drinking my green spinach and fruit smoothie, so I may try that one again.
• I also want to buy pickles. They are super low-cal and are pretty good for you. If I could acquire a taste for them, that would be a great snack during the day. Runsforcookies just posted about making the perfect pickle sandwich and it's so pretty that I want to try it!



see how pretty!









• I've been looking up recipes on pinterest and someone posted this awesome looking cranberry salad that I want to make this weekend. It is made with brussel sprouts, which Chris hates, but maybe if they are chopped up like lettuce he will tolerate it. 



It is pretty tooo!

Chris and my 4th anniversary is coming up and we always do the traditional gifts (paper, cotton, etc.) and this year is fruit/flowers. This is a tough one, so I have been looking everywhere for a good spin on this gift. I would get him something from Apple Inc. (fruit), but there is nothing he really wants from there. I really need to brainstorm because it is coming up soon and I need ideas!!

Out Of The Woods

Sorry about the title of this one; I just can't get the song out of my head!....yes, it is a T. Swift song. Yesterday I noticed that I was really dreading going for a run, so I knew something was wrong. Well, I thought about it and my last two runs I was down about my pace, so I decided this time I wouldn't worry about pace as much, and just have a nice, easy run. It really paid off because I truly enjoyed my 3.5 miles. I did have to stop a little earlier than I wanted because I needed to go pick up Em from daycare (I refuse to let her stay until 5), but I really felt good about it, and I can't wait to get back out there again. 

All of this positive energy paid off because I woke up this morning a pound or two lighter! I'm pumped!

On the other hand, my brother, my aunt, and I all have fitbits and are all in a weekly competition. They are kicking my BUTT! I know Blake has to walk to and from school and runs a good bit, so I expected to get beat by him. But how in the world is my aunt beating me....maybe she is cheating...we will see.

A Quick Run

So yesterday was supposed to be my first day to be back on track. I was planning to run for 3 miles at the track near my work. Alas,  I found out that I left my headphones at home and that no one told daycare to expect me any later than normal, so I opted to just run one mile as fast as I could. I've been wanting to do this for a while just too see how far I've come. I ran my mile in just under 12 minutes.

 Part of me feels crappy that I still can't run a 10 min mile, but I have to remind myself that I started out at a 15 + min mile and that a few months ago, I could not see myself being able to finish a mile. I'm still really hopeful about getting a sub 40 time by this time next month. 

Oh, and I finally broke down and bought the Taylor Swift album this morning. 

I used to make fun of T. Swift, but all of these songs are so good. I guess I am  officially a fan of Taylor Swift (I never thought I would say that).

Getting Back On Track

This weekend was so much fun! 

Saturday we went to Renee's first birthday party and then went to Bethany and Nathan's to visit with them and have a play date. I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed visiting with them. It was nice to talk to adults that were not our family (not that we don't love our family). Plus, since they are new parents too, we could share stories of new-parent nightmares. Their sweet girl, Natalie, is super cute and has the sweetest little chubby cheeks that you ever did see. 

On Sunday we just stayed at home, but I had such a good time playing with Em. She can sit up pretty well now, so it is fun sitting in front of her playing clapping games or blocks.

The only thing is I definitely feel bad about the amount that I ran last week. I only went out twice! Now, since one of my runs was 6 miles, I did get 8 miles in, but like I said before, that 6 mile run was terrible. I am planning to run Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday of this week to get me back on track. These holiday weeks and getting back into a schedule make finding time tricky. 

I am planning to sign up for a 10k in March. I know I can do the distance, but I would like to do it in an acceptable time (about a 13ish min mile).

A Week of Bad Runs

This week has flown by! I did a 6 mile run on Monday in Kiroli park. The hills on those trail KILLED me. I ran at a 16+ min per mile. That is the slowest I have EVER run. I keep trying to make myself feel better by saying the pace doesn't matter, the distance does, but I still feel like those miles didn't really count since you could walk faster than I was running. 

On Wednesday I was going to do a 3 mile run and work on my speed a little. My first two miles were great; I was going about a minute faster than normal......then my phone (music, timer, mile mapper) died. I was pissed than I wouldn't have an official time of my run, so I stopped at mile 2. I do feel good about the time though.


Oh! I am super pumped that my 2015 runner's log came in!

I started filling out the days I ran for this year. It definitely makes me want to run even more just to fill up the pages!


This weekend should be great though, we have Renee's birthday party Saturday, and then we are going to Bethany's house for pizza and games. It has been exactly 6 months since I have seen Bethany (she came and saw me & Em at the hospital) so I am excited to actually see a friend that is not related to me! :) 

I don't know when I am going to fit in a run this weekend. Today seems like it isn't going to happen since I have errands to run. Saturday seems to jam packed unless I wake up early (doubtful). Maybe Sunday I can do a few miles. 

I think next week will be a little less hectic. 

2 Year Update

       Wow! It's been 2 years since I posted in this blog! I always feel embarrassed when I go back and read my old posts, but I guess I'm going to keep them posted just to have a sense of where I was back then. I'll just make them private, because I don't love the writing.

     The main things that I saw when I was reading those old posts is that I was SO baby-crazy and I told myself I would lose weight. Well, one of those two things turned out for the better. I did have my sweet little girl exactly 6 months ago. Trying to conceive and pregnancy has been such a looooooooooong journey. I still sometimes can't believe that I made it through. But I have my sweet little Emersyn and she is everything that I have ever wanted. 

     I have not, on the other hand, lost any weight since my last post. I've actually gained weight because of fertility medicine, pregnancy, and lack of will power. I was working out at a gym for a while, but having to drive 20 minutes for an hour workout was just not very convenient, so I ended up not going. 

    But about 8 weeks ago I decided that I wanted to start running. I had done the couch to 5k program, and I always failed around week 5 because it got too hard, but this time I found a plan on a blog that really worked for me. The blog is about a woman who was once 250+ pounds (which is about 50 pounds heavier than I was when started out) and lost 120+ pounds by running and dieting. The woman who writes the blog is super-inspiring, and her running plan worked! I sucessfully went from 0 to 5k in about a month. Now, I am super-slow, but I am focusing on distance first and speed later.

Runs For Cookies Blog  <---- my favorite blog!

      My sister and I have been running together (she is a skinny-mini and much faster than me), and we plan on doing  race every month. So far we have done 2 races, the Scout Strong 5k and the SamStrong 5k. I have lost about 10 pounds since I started running. I think I will be more successful when getting healthier this time, because I truly enjoy running and it is a lot more convenient/fun than going to the gym.

Scout Strong 5k

We got medals for being in the Top 15!

(there were only 17 racers)

December 5k (my 1st): 46:00

January 5k: 42:30